Wojtek the Bear [paperback] by Aileen; Orr Read Free Book Online

– doubtless his interrogators also threatened to renew his acquaintance withthe bear – that he speedily divulged all the names of his co-conspirators. Based on his confession, the dissidents were quickly rounded up in a series of lightning raids. As for
Wojtek, he was fêted like a lord and given sweetmeats and beer. As a special treat he was allowed to go for an extra-long shower at the scene of his triumph. Legend has it that it lasted so
long, and consumed so much water, that afterwards a special delivery had to be organised to replenish the camp’s supplies.
    The 22nd Company wasn’t the only Polish army outfit to have a bear as its mascot. An infantry outfit, the 16th Lwów Rifles Battalion, had been given a bear by the Shah of Persia
while the men were stationed in his country. They called the bear Michael and he was several years older than Wojtek.
    One day in September 1943 while Wojtek’s company was stationed in Iraq he was brought to meet Wojtek. The encounter erupted into a terrifying fight. As he approached Wojtek, Michael went
into a berserker rage. He wrenched his restraining chain out of the grasp of his handlers and charged at Wojtek. Within seconds the animals were grappling with each other, enveloping each other in
deadly bear hugs, slashing out with terrifying claws, and each trying to rip out the other’s throat with his fangs. The two titans were locked in mortal combat and there was no way the
soldiers could intervene without themselves being killed or badly injured. At one point Wojtek, who was the stronger bear, began to get the better of Michael, catching him in a headlock that
threatened to snap his neck. His comrades and Peter were all yelling at him to let go and, by some miracle, Wojtek finally responded to their shouts. As Wojtek pushed away his assailant Michael was
separatedlong enough for his handlers to grab his chain and, mob-handed, get him back under control.
    Michael had a completely different temperament from that of Wojtek; he had a treacherous nature and could turn vicious without warning. The officers of the 16th Lwów Rifles Battalion had
attempted to rehome him with an Australian regiment, but the delinquent bear, after thumping his new handlers, made his escape and ran back to his old battalion. The men weren’t keen to have
him back so he was shunted onto the 22nd Company on the basis that their outfit already had experience in caring for bears. But there was no chance of Michael ever making friends with Wojtek. His
hatred remained undiminished and any time he saw him he would roar out challenges and try to escape from his restraints to attack him. Thus it was, when the company later returned to Palestine,
Michael was given to Tel Aviv Zoo. In thanks, its director sent the company a small monkey as a gift. The men called her Kaska.
    For poor Wojtek it was a case of swapping a delinquent bear for a delinquent monkey, whose sole delight in life, right from the very first time they met, was to torment him. At every opportunity
she would tweak his nose or nip his ears, jump on his head when he was asleep and race up trees to hurl stones and dates at him, chattering at him all the time. Her behaviour towards him was so bad
that Wojtek would cover his eyes with his paws when he saw her coming, as if blotting her out and ignoring her would somehow save him from the nips and nastiness. The sight of Kaska chasing Wojtek
through the camp was most incongruous. Indeed, it actually got to the point where the men only had to shout her name and Wojtek would turn and flee. And it wasn’t just Wojtek she targeted.
She would playnasty tricks on the men too, ripping up their cigarettes and thieving other items.
    However, Wojtek and his companions had more to concern them than a malicious monkey. Rumours were rife that soon their company was to see action in Italy as part of the 2nd Polish Corps under
General Anders. In December 1943 Wojtek and his companions were moved to